Manila Accuses U.S. of ‘Pressure’ Over Jailed Marine

By CARLOS H. CONDE
The New York Times
Published: December 22, 2006

MANILA, Dec.22 — The decision by the United States government to cancel a major joint military exercise with the Philippines has been met with reproof here, with critics denouncing Washington for allegedly putting pressure on Manila as it seeks to gain custody of an American Marine convicted of raping a local woman.

Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of United States forces in the Pacific, said on Thursday that he was canceling the joint military exercise — Balikatan, or Shoulder-to-Shoulder — scheduled for February because of Manila’s failure to turn over the marine, Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, to American authorities.

A local court convicted Corporal Smith earlier this month of raping a woman at a former American military facility north of Manila in November last year. The United States Embassy has been saying that under the Visiting Forces Agreement signed by both countries, Corporal Smith should be in the custody of the American embassy while he appeals his conviction.

The United States ambassador, Kirstie Kenney told ABS-CBN television today that Washington was “disappointed” in the local court for refusing to yield Corporal Smith to its custody. She, however, emphasized that the marine’s conviction was not the issue — just his custody.

The court, in refusing to yield the serviceman, argued that Corporal Smith should remain in a Manila jail until both countries can reach an agreement on where he would serve his 40-year sentence.

A former senator, Wigberto Tañada, who is representing the rape victim in countering Corporal Smith’s appeal, said Washington’s cancellation of the exercises and its threat to suspend military aid “is just another way of putting pressure on the Philippine government.”

Continue reading »